Lucy's One Week Guy
by YYWT
Summary: (RuneStar) He's elegant, honest, strong and handsome. She's kind, smart and adventurous. Looking things from her prespective she saw somebody a bit strange yet perfect. His eyes, however, hadn't notice her just yet. It almost an intro to a love story, if he wasn't the "One Week Guy"! Never losing hope Lucy hopes there more to them than some stupid bet. Now only time can tell.


******AN:This for my Runestar fans. I have to tell you in advance, but I hope you'll still read LAA, that LAA will not have LucyxFreed. Also if you're going to spam for points, pretending to be somebody else, I will not accept a certain amount of anons. Use an account for LAA dating polls. **

******Also... reason why Fire in the rain isn't out because I have +10k words written and I'm honestly considering to rewrite it. **

******LAA4 will have the same amount and I'm only 2k words in and that's only the intro DX. **

******Also going to make a Macao x Cana story. My OTP... **

******So updates will probably go like this **

******1. Fire in the Rain **  
******2. LAA4 **  
******3. CiGU 3/RuneStar 2 **

******Also this is trying to be a super-short chapter. While acting somewhat believable. **

******Also thank "Ihearteverything33" for beta-ing. **

******Also my first try in comedy/Romance. Also subtle reference to other series( and FT manga), if some thing allude you.**

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_Holding tightly to a heart burning with love  
While enveloped in the snow that's falling hard  
I'll love you forever, love you more than today  
For always, eternal love_

**,**

_Get down  
I don't care if it's a lie or a dream or the present  
This winter night we're spending together  
Kiss me gently and make a wish on a star  
And forget about the past_

**"Promise" by Koumi Hirose**

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******Star 1:******** The Legendary Maiden ~ **___Will it be a Heartcatch? _

The sun of the day gave radiance to their lovely shining blue sky. People were either drinking or flirting around, and lovers could be seen left and right. For some people, it was the month of love; for others, it was a time of despair.

And then there were the ones simply giving out chocolates.

Being a part of the 'chocolate makers', she had made a bunch of 'friend' chocolates for her teammates, and had helped Levy cook her own batch of milk chocolate. The shy little bookworm had even secretly added extra 'spices' into the chocolate - spices, being that of steel carbon - for a certain Dragon Slayer.

The poor girl- she had been carefully watching Levy from the bar counter instead- had been unable to successfully deliver her chocolates.

Erza had used this as a heavy excuse to pig out on strawberry cakes, that signature dish that held enough power to let Erza mercilessly obliterate anybody who would attempt to foolishly steal or destroy it. Beside her sat a peaceful-looking Bisca, together with her daughter, Asuka. Natsu and Gray rivalry spared once more, while, behind- or, to put it in a better way, 'around' them- were girls of all ages, acting all googly-eyed and lovestruck by Natsu and Gray's rowdy attitudes, while Juvia promptly scared off anyone she viewed as a potential 'love rival', never once noting that Lyon sat in their guild, staring at her with teary eyes. She honestly had no idea who she pitied more: Juvia, Lyon, or just Gray himself.

"Chaotic as always..." she muttered, sighing in disbelief of the thought that she could still be dumbfounded by what could be classified as a casually normal day in her beloved guild.

Mirajane giggled. "True... But I feel like everybody's growing up."

"No need to remind me!" she yelped, instantly flustered upon remembering what had happened about a month ago. "I-It was out of my control!"

"But you were such a cute little kid back then!" A kind, innocent smile on Mira's face mocked her younger friend. Lucy could feel her eyebrows twitching, but decided against saying much else, and turned back to face the scene that had unfolded before her very eyes. Down below, she noticed that Cana was acting a little too friendly with Macao. Wasn't Macao already forty? Lucy cringed at the idea of her friend ever dating such an old man, even though she already kind of knew how Cana felt towards him.

Lucy muttered out the bitter joke, "Love really does surpass all types of barriers, huh."

Mirajane didn't show agreement on this. Instead, she leaned on her elbow, her face mirroring the pity she felt inside. "Actually, Macao rejected her. I know he did it for her own good, but this is somewhat painful to watch."

"I guess he stopped being a bachelor."

Mirajane shook her head. "No, he still dates from time to time, but that isn't really heartfelt. It's always just a game of 'wolf and sheep'. If only men could stick to the true illusions of what romance is really about... Turns out that request is impossible to fulfill."

"So I guess the moon will last all eternity," Lucy joked out an allusion to an interesting series.

A chuckle escaped the bartender's lips, approving of her joke. "I suppose so. Anyway, why don't you go and get your man?"

Lucy's left brow twitched, her body turning rigid all over, and turned to see a sweet, innocently deceiving smile on Mira's face. What a cold joke! That wasn't funny at all! "Go get my man-? Hold on! Are you crazy? What man?!"

Mira was, of course, unperturbed. "Freed, of course!"

This statement confused her. Wasn't Freed the shiny red apple of Mirajane's eye? "I thought you were into him. I can't ask him out!"

"Since when has Freed ever been my love interest? Then again, I thought you and Natsu would make an ideal couple." Lucy cringed once more, remembering how overthinking a situation had ruined her precious day.

"Thanks to you, my whole day was ruined!" she complained.

"But that was seven years ago! Geez, Lucy! You shouldn't hold such a grudge. It's bad for your skin!" Mira rebutted, pouting childishly.

"That was only half a year ago! I can't count those seven years!" Lucy retorted, her tone mixed in with a feeling of irritation.

"Muuu... I'm hurt."

"Anyhow, I don't think he's interested in me..." she muttered in defeat, and scratched her chin, not wanting to admit that she felt that he was completely out of her league. Opening her eyes once more, she saw Freed, together with Laxus, sitting between a very beautiful woman and the rest of the Raijinshuu. There was simply no way she could compete. The woman herself was one of the top seven models in Fiore. She was twenty-four years old, with perfectly-hued caramel skin. Her long, wavy back hair contrast finely with her glittery silver, body-fitting dress that cut upwards at the side, leaving a complete show of her silky left leg- she was a completely grown-out, mature woman.

And she'd seemingly been with Freed for the entire last week.

Instead of going out, there they were, having the time of their lives.

Instead of agreeing with her, Mirajane's purple eyes turned heart-shaped, urging her to feel the unexplained hype.

"Don't worry, she's not enjoying herself either! Nobody lasts over a week dating Freed! Mostly because..." Those heart shaped eyes suddenly turned sly, smiling in an all-knowing manner that had begun to bring everyone else worry over the Celestial mage's safety. "Can you guess why?"

After a moment of silent contemplation, Lucy answered with a silent shake of her head.

"Laxus, of course! Freed's a full-time Laxus man, twenty-four seven."

Lucy honestly wasn't sure whether to be happy or terrified by such an obvious answer.

It felt like all the color had faded away from her body. She turned slightly, facing Mirajane with a sort of solemn monotony that was so stressing that words pouring from her mind and soul wouldn't even come close to describing it. Before long, the S-Class waitress calmed down, and returned to her state of showing the motherly love she gave to everybody, and patted Lucy's shoulder sympathetically, encouraging her to, in the very least, not give up.

"Lucy... Just tell him how you feel. You made those chocolates for a reason, didn't you? Those aren't Giri (obligatory) chocolates; you wanted to give him those, didn't you?" Lucy knew that Mira was referring to the decorated bag of chocolate hearts that she had made especially for the lucky man she wanted to confess to. Although she had made them despite learning about Hana, what she had been hoping for was still apparently beyond her expectations: they were really still dating after all.

Admitting defeat became the only available option for Lucy until something drastic happened.

"It doesn't really matter..." she muttered, looking away.

To her surprise, right after admitting her fanciful delusions, Hana, the famous model, spoke loudly, "What do you mean by that?!"

She couldn't hear what Freed said after that, but the fuse had already been lit. "You have serious problems. I can't believe we're wasting time in this dingy place! I thought Justines were way better than this!" she continued.

___'Did God just suddenly decide he's on my side today?'_ Lucy's thoughts drifted off as she looked on, barely hearing anything, only to see Hana pointing at Laxus with a look of utter disdain smeared on her pretty face. The lightning mage looked like he hadn't understood what had suddenly gone wrong either, yet, seconds later, he cringed noticeably and gave Freed a questioning, bothered stare. Another moment later, Laxus facepalmed, groaning. Far beyond hearing such an irritated groan, Lucy herself could spiritually feel it. Too bad she couldn't tell what Laxus was trying to get into his compulsive, obsessive teammate's head.

Why did she like Freed?

Well, it started with the 'five-guys-she-wanted-to-date list'. But then, after she'd arrived at Fairy Tail, most of her opinions changed drastically. She chuckled at the thought of the old naïve part of her that had once considered dating Loke. It wasn't that the guy wasn't worth it or anything; it was just that she didn't feel any kind of chemistry that would happen between them if they were to be lovers. Sure, they were great friends, but she simply couldn't imagine dating such an over-romantic guy.

She and Freed had once had a very small encounter, so small and insignificant that even she didn't remember it until she saw the old photos of the boring dress-and-greet parties her father had once hosted. Their parties, hosted merely for economic gain, became forgettable like all the others she went to. But, looking back, she remembered being sincerely spoken to in the gardens of one of the Justine family's summer houses. It had been a fairly dull party- very small to her own standards- yet, beside the pond with the beautiful, tamed white doves, she met him. She was thirteen and he was sixteen, and was already bearing the mark of Fairy Tail. His eyes had been cold and showed no true emotion.

She doesn't remember what he told her; there was no doubt that the man had long forgotten their encounter.

Because when she looked back, feelings of empathy came naturally.

They weren't being nice to one another; they were both simply trying to temporarily escape from a world neither of them could stand. Since it was a simultaneous sentiment, all they needed was to be brutally honest with each other. That day went on like any other, but...

She almost could recite the phrase she knew none of the words to.

"Ehehe... I told you so... 'One Week Freed'." Lucy almost visibly flinched when Levy popped out beside her out of nowhere, smirking evilly.

Lucy faced her best friend, practically shouting out, "Levy, don't do that! And also..." She breathed out, placing a hand on her hip, "I don't want to hear that from you."

"Well.. You win some, you lose some. Mira told you the limit, right?" Lucy closed her eyes. Was this 'Freed-being-a-One-Week-guy' actually real? She had honestly thought that Mirajane had been pulling her leg. Levy should've stopped sounding arrogant when she couldn't get her man.

___'Oh god! Mira's infected me with her phrasing!_' she screamed in her head before a waterfall-like torrent of tears could escape from her closed eyes. ___'And now I'm going to turn into Laki! Poor me..._'

"He seriously can't be that guy. I thought a title like that would fit Loke or Laxus or something. Not Freed." Lucy continued to pigheadedly reject such an impossible suggestion.

Levy shrugged her shoulder, hands up and flat in the air, before wrapping an arm around Lucy's shoulders. Mirajane barely held in her amusement as Levy proceeded in explaining in more detail. "If you can stay with Freed for over a week, you have a fifty-fifty chance of developing your relationship. He's called the 'One-Week Guy' because you either get sick of him, Laxus, or both of them together. Girls usually get dumped before they know where they went wrong, or vice-versa."

"Ehh... I'm kind of creeped out by how well you all know this," Lucy muttered from her awkward position.

Levy's laughter was endless as she struggled to control the amount of air she was breathing out- she'd probably pass out from the lack of oxygen soon enough. Grinning a little too much, Mirajane covered her mouth, trying her best to stifle her giggles. "I was one of the many who tried. I failed honorably. I dated him for a day and a half."

"WHAT?! You say that like it's impressive!" Lucy spoke in a loud tone, her body shuddering in annoyance.

Levy kept her prideful smile, though it was inevitable that when her eyes opened, they showed a clear window of emotional stress. "I saw Laxus every single day. I felt like I was dating him, and then Freed. It was horrible."

"She was a valiant knight in her quest to search for her prince," Mirajane narrated melodramatically.

Lucy rolled her eyes, shaking her head, and kept silent.

"So go get him! He almost never rejects anybody who confesses." Levy pushed her forward, forcing her right out of her seat, as Mirajane cheerily waved goodbye. Not even a minute later, she was standing right in front of the Raijinshuu, who was laughing at an overly calm, yet blank-faced, Freed.

It didn't even take a second for Evergreen and Laxus' eyes to start glinting with purely evil intent. Since she had hidden her face well behind her fan, Lucy couldn't tell what the other woman's expression was. Laxus, however, grinned, his teeth showing, like he had smelt prey from far away.

___'I've never felt as out-of-place as I do now...'_ Words echoed in her head as she clutched her purse, contemplating over whether she should do it or not. A frozen body turned rigid, unable to move because she felt embarrass. Her already-frozen body turned rigid, unable to move due to the overly

stressing amount of embarrassment she was suddenly feeling.

"Lucy... What's the matter?" It just ___had _to be him to speak up first.

She jerked her head slightly to look downwards at him. His green irises blinked blankly, remaining unemotional. She cried inside her head, mentally throwing a temper tantrum. ___'I really don't want to do this! He'll probably find it stupid... and plus, he just broke up with someone._' Looking back over her shoulder, she noticed Mirajane waving supportingly and Levy giving her an encouraging thumbs up. Those lucky bitches! All of a sudden, Lucy felt so much more irritated. Such hypocrites. It wasn't fair!

"Ehh... Umm.." Her hand crept towards her open purse to grab those chocolates.

Without even a bat of his eyelashes, Freed overconscientiously spoke up. "Do you have anything to say or not?"

"..."

Between being insulted and understanding this was Freed and his usual usage of 'words', her shyness suddenly all vanished. Barely holding her frustration, she suddenly spoke without a second thought. "I want to date you, okay?!"

Her words seemed to echo in her mind over a thousand times. People's movements suddenly seemed to slow, and before long, her face turned a shade of velvet red. She hadn't even realized she'd just given Freed his chocolates. Turning around, even her team gave her a blank, gaping look- she had spoken far too loudly.

And now she felt like she was going to die.

"There, that wasn't hard, was it?" Freed took the box calmly, as if her dignity wasn't on the line. Taking a bite out of her creamy milk chocolates, he answered, "I'd love to date you. You want to sit next to me?"

He hadn't even stuttered.

Grateful to be able to try and hide away from the fact that she'd just humiliated herself in front of everyone, she sat down without a word. Shouldn't she be happy?

At least, a part of her was.

Then there was that part of her dying inside by how amused she and Freed's friends were at her little slip up. She just wanted to crawl under the covers and hide there forever.

___'Poor, poor me..._' She honestly pitied herself.

"I never expected that you'd be interested in someone like myself, Lucy-san," Freed talked about the confession like it had been something as normal as the daily weather report. This deepened her already salted wound, but she simply nodded and took a deep breath. She had already learned to accept that bygones be bygones. "Why do you like me, anyways?"

"Eyuhh... Umm..." The words would not come.

Evergreen intervened, "Don't torture your new girlfriend... But honestly, that's such a romantic question. Ohohoh!"

"Ever, you'd be a sexy Santa... I wonder what gifts Elfman will get," Bickslow joked, to which Freed continued, "Tonight Elfman will have a wonderful evening filled with his fair share of gifts."

"Oi! Me and Elfman are not together!" Evergreen barked sharply, snapping her fan closed, looking rather miffed.

Laxus laughed a little before suggesting bravely, "Yo, Lucy. Let's make a bet."

"What exactly are we supposed to even be betting on? Why would I agree to having a bet with ___you_, anyway?" Lucy scoffed. With Laxus, everything was life-staking. Since when had he become so arrogant again?! Wasn't he supposed to have calmed down already? He leaned a little bit closer. Her personal ___bubble_ was still far from being touched, yet she oh-so-dearly wanted to snap at his annoying attitude.

"Because I can make your relationship end in a millisecond," he snorted, his amused chuckle turning into a full-fledged chortle.

Freed seemed to not be interested. Why?!

"Okay... But he's right here." Lucy pointing at her newly acquired lover with her thumb.

Strongly entertained, Laxus shook his head, as if she didn't understand something rather obvious. "Poor, naïve Lucy... I want to bet on your Bismuth Azure Embodiment Crystal, and see if you pass a week with Freed."

"Laxus, that's a very rare item. This is going to be a fair game, isn't it?" Wait, did Freed know about his title?! He sounded like this situation wasn't his problem at all, if not even at a bare minimum.

Shock took over the expression on Lucy's face, and, turning towards a rather bored Freed, she noticed that Bickslow and Evergreen's facial expressions were the exact replicas of that of their leader's.

"You worry too much, Freed. She ___is_ your lovely girlfriend, after all."

Grumbling, Freed sounded a little cynical. "We both know that doesn't mean much. I'd rather not have a guilty conscience of sorts, even if..." He trailed off. Why was he blushing?! Lucy found herself groaning at the idea that had unfolded out of this whimsy. "It's for you. I've always appreciated games with fair rules."

Her head smacked down heavily onto the hard surface of the table.

"Is there anything the matter, Lucy?" Freed eyed her with sincere concern.

___'What do you think is wrong? You know what Laxus is doing, yet you allowed him to do it anyway?!'_ It hadn't even passed five minutes and she was already regretting ever falling for Freed. A forced bet, blackmailing and an absolute lack of a good boyfriend's protection flew straight out of the window.

"I'm fine..." she lied weakly.

He noticed her lie, promptly remarking, "I think you might want to take back your words. Hanabella left already, so let's just pretend that today didn't happen."

___'You shouldn't be like that...' _A flat look appeared on her silent face. Chuckling awkwardly, she forced a smile. "Don't be like that... We've barely even started..."

"So you're going to take the bet?" Freed seemed curious about this concept.

Disquieted by such assumptions, Lucy spoke, "Why would I take the bet?! Isn't dating one another enough already?"

"Ahahahaha! How sweet, Lucy's so darling-like. Cosplayer queen... It's just one week. Who do you think makes the rules anyway? Freed? Pfftthh..." Bickslow slapped his hand onto the younger man's back, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Freed smiled, almost amused by his friend's attitude. "You're either all in or all out."

"Now I know why Levy was so proud of herself." Giving up, Lucy slumped, realizing that all she could do was accept.

Evergreen mocked her playfully, "Laxus was quite mean and took her favorite book. Geez.. I'm actually surprised you're being so nice to Lucy-chan. Do you like her more than me?"

"Of course not... but I have an S-Class mission that would be finished a lot quicker if I had that item in my hands." He replied, almost as if she wasn't even there.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Lucy could only find herself agreeing to whatever they said.

After that bit of backlashing, she and Freed left his group of friends to walk around town together for a while. Her mood had worsened already. She felt unsettled, and was inwardly questioning why she'd even agree to such absurdities. It had all happened at once. She couldn't bring herself to talk with Freed praising and admiring Laxus's every move, so when the man shooed them away, she was partially grateful.

Freed didn't take that invitation in the same manner, however. It took a whole two minutes for him to part from his beloved leader.

Worst of all, Laxus's followers bid her good luck.

She wasn't really that hopeless, was she?!

"... Laxus-sama..." Freed sighed dejectedly, before lifting his head, gazing at the buildings around him, when his depressed expression suddenly morphed into a more determined one.

"I should get Laxus-sama what he needs the most!" he declared, ignoring Lucy's presence completely.

"You know I'm right here, don't you?" she murmured, only feeling more regret and self-pity.

Freed took a moment to ponder- for a moment far too long, in her opinion- before allowing their eyes to cross. Confused green irises caught onto annoyed brown ones, and finally he commented, "I see."

Lucy was dumbfounded as to why he'd agreed to date her if he really wasn't interested at all. Hearing his disappointed sigh bothered her even further. "It seems like you don't want to date me at all."

"It's nothing like that, but I still don't understand why you'd want to date me. I've dated tons of women who've all preferred to love the mere illusion of me, rather than to love me for who I really am. It's bothersome, and I really don't want to waste time I could use to help Laxus-sama." The tone he used was cool and collected, hinting his annoyance at the question he considered pointless. Well, that was a good motive. She herself had experienced similar events before, but she had never truly dated anybody.

The sound of footsteps was all that was heard for a moment amidst the silence, and Lucy found herself unable to stop blushing as she considered telling him right upfront.

"It's hard to say... but I do want to know you more. If I told you why I liked you, you'd think I was really dense, you know? I'd rather not say..." She directed her gaze elsewhere, her ears turning as red as her cheeks. She'd honestly hoped that he would understand. When he didn't respond after a while, she turned to face him with her now cooled-down face, to see that he looked quite bored.

He exhale a held-in sigh, "That's almost the seventeenth time I've heard this phrase or something along the lines of it."

His words pierced her heart painfully, her body going rigid, and she felt like she could practically cry right there in front of him. After another minute, he suddenly smiled, almost as though he understood something.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to have some fun."

"Have fun?" Lucy repeated in mild confusion.

He blinked, before turning to her, chuckling at her and placing his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him in an embrace. "We're going to Ruttella's Bookstore!"

"Eh?" Well, that was ___not_ what she'd expected.

Ruttella's Bookstore was one of the higher class bookstores around, located in a huge basement area. Two floors up, Freed eventually vanished into the shop's great depths of bookshelves and piles. Giving up on trying to understand the man, Lucy began to search for some books that she never had time to buy. This wasn't exactly what she'd hoped for, but then again, even if she didn't want to admit it, Freed was right. She barely knew him- he was attractive, smart, and a little insane at times, but he was a good person. Were those just superficial doings, or was this really who he was? Grabbing the novel 'A Relative Theory of a Mage's Second Origin' and the five newest adventure novels, she went to pay for her products at the register counter.

It didn't cost her much, just a couple thousand jewels at best.

It didn't take long for Freed to return either- only ten minutes after he made two trips, carrying a dozen literary works each time. The fact that he was able to balance and carry all of those thick, hardcover books proved to her that the man at least had much body muscle as Natsu- actually, hadn't he shown his abs when swimming? Or when Erza had switched outfits? Blushing, Lucy giggled in remembrance; she could still clearly picture Freed in Natsu's clothing. As he placed the impossibly___large _amount of books on the counter, the accountant standing behind the cash register hadn't even flinched in shock by the number of items in Freed's new collection.

"That will be... 35,000,445 jewels," she deadpanned, her monotonous voice matching her blank, stoic gaze.

Freed paid the amount without a second thought, and snapped his fingers, resizing the products and changing them into something holdable. Twenty-four thick novels suddenly morphed into five-inch-tall decorative items. He then placed them neatly inside a decorative case and snapped it closed, before returning it to the invisible pockets within the depths of his double-breasted coat.

"So, you're an expert at more than one type of magic?" Lucy questioned as the two walked out of the bookstore.

Freed nodded, confirming what she'd seen. "To tell the truth, I was told to study every possible concept known to man when I was younger. In return, I became quite an expert at several types of magic, be it ancient or modern. I originally was a Tome Master."

"A Tome Master? I don't think I've ever heard of such a magic before." In spite of her own studies, Lucy could only vaguely recall hearing about that kind of magic before.

"It's pretty impractical in battle, unless you have a great reading speed. For the most part, it's great as supporting magic. Status magic that make your enemies weaker or your allies stronger, but in return you need to multitask or be defended; you can absolutely use any other magic, with the solo exception of not specializing in any specific element. So I mostly depend on my Dark Écriture to guide me in battle," Freed explained, matter-of-factly.

Eyeing the man, Lucy smiled upon learning of such a foreign magic. "I can barely master casting magic; maybe you can teach me some new skills."

"It would be my pleasure. However, the training hours will long and dutiful." He glanced elsewhere, seemingly bothered by something, before turning back and giving her a fair warning, "Don't expect me to be gentle with you, just because we're dating."

"Of course, of course..." She bobbed her head, surrendering to the fact that Freed had no sense of gentleness. They were only three years apart in age, yet it seemed like the twenty-year-old had much more dating experience than she had, even though he lacked any drive to be romantic whatsoever. Or was Freed just not the romantic type?

She'd honestly expected a bit more from him...

"Your chocolates were quite amazing, by the way. If you ever plan to make them again, could you make me a side of them with hazelnuts?" Freed suddenly chimed, his virile body turning to send her an adoring gaze that matched his small smile.

"I'm glad you enjoy them... Say, is it true that you say yes to everybody?"

He shrugged, his smile neither happy nor sad. "Not always... I once had a lover, but then our relationship was dead for seven years. It's pitiful, but I have no reason to say no if I'm available. Also, I don't want to miss an opportunity. You never know what people have to offer."

"Well... what are you looking for?" Lucy scratched her chin, feeling a bit shy about asking such personal questions.

"I guess it's just what everybody wants... To be accepted fully and unconditionally for myself." Freed replied, confessing as if it was something that sounded quite obvious. Conflict painted itself on his furrowed brows as he bit his lower lip, before his expression returned to that of an apathetic one. She found herself agreeing, knowing fully well that many older men flocked around her, just to try and gain some of her father's riches- although they all spoke poetically, she still inwardly knew that their thoughts were uncanny and unjust. Truthfully, all she knew of Justine family had long flown in through one ear and right out through the other.

But she had only been twelve at the time, so why would she care? The information about them was actually quite hard to find in Fiore.

What did his family do anyway?

"I get that... no wonder you're skeptical." She agreed, to which he seemed a little confounded by.

He alleged his explanation. "I'm not a skeptic. I'm just tired of being asked out several days a week only to be dumped because they don't know who I really am."

"Okay. So what do we do now?" She stopped in her tracks and turned to him. He mimicked her actions.

He held a forced smile, chuckling awkwardly before asking, "Wanna play something adult? Or are you a kiddy romantic girl?"

"... I can't believe this." She scoffed in disappointment. So her underlining belief wasn't wrong after all.

He began to pat her on the back, his forced smile bothering her to no end. "I understand, Lucy. This must be your first time feeling so truly special, but I don't think I'm the man who should make that dream of yours come true."

"Shut up!" Lucy yelled, feeling abashed, like she'd done something publicly ___embarrassing_. "I'll decide if it's you or not. How about we meet up tonight?"

"... Actually, I have to help Laxus." Freed's mind went directly back to that man.

"Are you in love with him or something?" Lucy joked in a lighthearted manner.

His pale complexion reddened, and she gaped. What on Earthland was happening? Did he seriously play both ways?!

"I'd rather not comment on that, although making Laxus completely satisfied is my life goal!" Freed pumped his fist towards his velvet chest committedly, looking out towards the evening sky, and began shaking slightly with the sheer amount of determination flowing from every pore in his body. "If he isn't happy, then neither am I. I must do everything in my power to complete him."

"But he doesn't play on that street." Lucy remarked, shrugging off his action of gusto.

He looked at her blankly, not knowing how respond to her retort.

"It isn't about dating him; I've given that up. It's about being his loyal follower, through and through. I must fulfill every need in Laxus-sama's life! Be it food, clothing, anything. Even murder, if that's what he truly wants."

"Wait- waitwaitiwait! What? That's a drastic jump from your original goal! I think that's going way too far!" Becoming the straight man in Manzai threater. Overreacting was nothing new, in Freed's case, yet did he really have to go that far?

Freed continued his 'stupid' act, though the girl next to him knew he wasn't intentionally trying to be the funny man, as he started to swear to the gods about keeping his faith in Laxus and all that lark. "They all have equal value when Laxus-sama is concerned!" He began to blush a little before returning to his determined pose. "Tonight, I shall fulfill another request of his."

"That... was anticlimactic." Lucy breathed out the unspoken words that revealed her unimpressed and tired mood.

Freed turned, proceeding to clasp her hands in his, a childish smile alight on his face. "How about you help me out? This could be our date."

Lucy blinked, as her boyfriend blinked back at her. The silent exchange continued on for another minute. Unable to understand what Freed had just said, she stared at him, confused and not sure whether to take him seriously or not. "...Ah... Um... Okay?"

She stilled as she felt Freed's arms wrap around her in a bear hug-like embrace, her face turning a shade of scarlet that could easily rival Erza's hair, and then they parted. His hands cupped on her shoulders, his usually stoic face breaking into that of a brilliantly uncharacteristic expression of pure joy.

Lucy wanted to kick herself on the head.

Even though she felt rewarded, and even a little grateful, for his 360-degree change.

"We have to go! Laxus will surely be back by midnight!"

Freed grabbed Lucy's hand, sweeping her right off her feet, as he dashed away at an incredible speed.

Before she knew it, they had already arrived at a fancy stone villa deep inside the East Forest.

Lucy had been given tons of stuff to polish and clean the house with, courtesy of her new boyfriend. Opening Laxus's door, she was greeted with the darkness of a curtained house. The floorboards were completely made up of smooth, evenly shaped wood, and miniature bookcases that held mangas and books of varied genres could be seen here and there, usually with a couple of anime figurines delicately placed on top. Turning on the light, she instantaneously noted that the wallpaper was colored a warmly pleasant shade of red, with the support beams slightly outlined with yellow. It was a house of seven hundred square feet.

By now, Freed had considerately drawn back the curtains of three large windows along the hallway that led to the kitchen and the entrance of the living room. Unfortunately, not much light had entered anyway, mostly because the forest trees blocked out many of the sun's glorious rays. Looking inside the kitchen, Lucy saw a large refrigerator and a large cabinet door that branched out into many smaller cabinets above the gray marble counter. Looking downwards, she was met with a show of the living room beyond the two sinks, and even more drawers below the island counter.

It was really a beautiful house. The guy even had a HD television.

Going west into the living room, she was met with a locked door, while, behind her, the kitchen led to a narrow hall that curved into the shape of a 'C'. After a straight turn to the right, there was a door that opened to a decent-sized bathroom- though this room had nothing to brag about, really. Heading left, Lucy was then led to a door on her right that was locked and, going forwards a little, showed itself to be a small bedroom. It looked more like a guest room than anything else. Maybe Laxus was just that decisive about what rooms Freed could or could not enter.

Personally, she didn't blame him.

"So, let's begin!" Freed called out, his voice echoing through the large house.

Unfairly enough, Lucy found herself polishing and cleaning to no end. It took her three hours, and all the previously locked doors were broken into by her boyfriend. Wasn't he supposed to follow the 'rules' concerning this stuff? Freed preached about how to become a true Raijinshuu member, and, aside from all the seemingly important 'being strong' and 'never betray' stuff, most of his 'preachings' could all easily be classified as part of the 'stalker zone'- honestly, she doubted that somebody as casually laid back as Bickslow or as vain as Evergreen would always cheer for, praise, and buy anything for Laxus. She drifted off, only pretending to listen as she found herself being more and more creeped out by Freed's accurately detailed descriptions and explanations about how Laxus's house worked.

___'Ugh... Why did I ever say yes to this?'_ The girl comically cried to herself as the rest of the day slowly whittled away, just like how every single speck of dust in the house was being wiped down. As the clock struck seven - to think that she had already been here for two hours!- and she was just finishing up the cleaning of the kitchen floor, which was now literally sparkling, thanks to the handmade polish that Freed had made himself, Lucy was greeted with the comforting aroma of green tea. Getting up and taking off her cleaning apron, she saw Freed opening a box of snacks, humming a happy tune as the tea brewer whistled lightly.

"Please take a seat. It's been a long day today. I've always wished that I could motivate the others to help me." He spoke up happily, his humorous mood sailing even higher every minute.

If Lucy wasn't certain before, she was certain now that she'd made the right call.

"I can't imagine Evergreen or Bickslow cooking, cleaning, or being that obedient. They're more like normal people." She admitted her harsh opinion.

Freed placed two small, shiny, white square plates with cute peach castellas decorated with strawberry and chocolate syrup on the table. Handleless blue-tinted china cups were passed to the Celestial mage, the scent of the syrupy green tea wafting about. He found the jest funny, and nodded in agreement. The gesture made her certain that he hadn't heard the words she'd just said.

"I do admit that I am quite strange, but, then again, so is Gray, who's your teammate. He really sets a bad example for men everywhere," he continued, sitting down next to the blonde.

Lucy nodded, unable to find what he said to be completely wrong. "I couldn't agree more. I'm surprised he never became a model, though. He'd be pretty rich if he did, and Mira said once that she gets a really good amount of money for each of her photo shoots."

"Ehehe... That would be nice." Freed beguiled the suggestion. A hue of pink arose on his face, before quickly vanishing. "... Say, I've always wondered what Lisanna and Laxus would be like together."

The tea leaves hadn't overused, so when Freed's curious thought reached her ears, Lucy almost spat out her tea. "What? Why? I don't see how those two could date at all. They act more like siblings than lovers!"

"... Really? I think they're perfect for one another. Laxus is a very kind person at heart. Lisanna would be perfect for him, but then I find her and Bickslow playing around." The green-locked man glared at an imaginary something in front of him. Lucy was stumped at the word choice of that statement, and felt a blush arising- she hadn't heard anything about that.

Freed continued, "I trusted Bickslow on this, but this was probably too hard of a job for him."

"Hey, hey... I don't think that's how it goes down. Lisanna's free to do whatever she wants."

He faced her, a passionately fiery aura surrounded him. "Even if they're perfect for one another? It's a crime against God not to pair them up together."

"Heh... That's not how love works, you know. Only they can decide whether they're meant for each other. Forcing people onto one another isn't going to get you anywhere," Lucy explained, feeling like she was explaining it to a kindergartener.

Reopening her eyes, she was greeted with a childishly pouting Freed. He glared at her judgmentally, seemingly wanting to disregard everything she had just said. Her skin crawled with the feeling of vexation, and she looked away, taking a bite into her peach castella instead. A burst of flavor exploded in her mouth as the soft surface ripped apart, and brown sugar and the fruity peach melted in her mouth. "Oh my God, this is amazing! Where did you get it?"

"I baked it myself. I usually have a snack or two between the six hours of ordering and cleaning around. Thanks to you, though, my work got completed far more quickly than I would've ever expected, so I guess you could say that this is my gift for you for being a good sport. Sadly, I realized that Laxus is more into spicy, meaty dishes instead of baked goods, so I personally make his curry bread." He took a bite out of his own castella, his face still showing his strong mental conflict over his previous mention of things.

"You should teach me sometime... I'm usually better with chocolates than I am with actual cakes. But anyway, was it really necessary to break into those locked rooms to clean them? Isn't that against the law?" Lucy changed the subject.

He barely batted an eye at that comment. "I'm really doing Laxus a favor. He easily forgets things, makes a mess if not checked up on daily, and is always missing or forgetting something. Becoming part of the Raijinshuu means dedicating your life to him. I've never been happier."

___'And I bet Laxus's never been more weirded out.' _Lucy forced a smile as looking away from those undisturbed eyes of Freed's became impossible.

"But isn't that a bit too much? To dedicate yourself to only one person?"

"No. I only exist because of him."

She sighed and said no more as the prominent frown on his face warned her about pressing more into the matter.

"Hey, you know what's ironic? We've met before I joined Fairy Tail." She tried to cheer up the mood.

His uninterested eyes worried her. "I know. It was six years ago, a week from now. We were supposed to get married or something."

"Eh? I don't remember that!" Lucy was personally shocked that she'd forgotten something so big.

Freed shrugged as he swallowed the last bite of his snack. "Yes, but now that your father has passed, you're not worth as much in my mother's eyes."

"Oh... I see." She was lost for words on such a situation.

"I personally dislike following my mother's orders though. I'm just giving a fair warning." He sighed, only to grab his slightly steaming tea cup, "So, how many people have you dated before?"

She thinned her lips, wondering how to respond to such personal question, but answered truthfully. "Two. Both were from somewhere in the businesses of the Heartfilia Konzern. One was below my status, and the other was literally supposed to be my future husband. Ew."

Freed let out a held-back laugh. "I understand. I'm just grateful that I'm not your first. Placing pressure of that level is always impossible to deal with. 'Doki-Doki, my heart belongs to you'... The lines of that sort get so sickly sweet that it makes me want to vomit. Some wolves just enjoy tasting the veal, though. Honestly I pity the girls like that. They can become equally annoying. If you don't live up to their expectations, God forbid and bam! They end up blaming you for breaking their heart."

"Hey, do have some vendetta against women? Like Jack the Ripper?"

A catty smile appeared on his face, "If they hurt Laxus, I might."

"I can't imagine a heartbroken Laxus..." Lucy scoffed lightly as she tried to imagine such a scene.

Tilting his head, Freed suddenly glanced away, looking sorrowful. "Why do you think he started to treat women like he does? Love is only a game between men and women. Men can be rabid wolves, but even women have talons. He was once a heartfelt romantic, before that bitch stomped all over his heart. I've deduced that lovers can be categorized as either players or fools."

He got up, grabbing the now empty plates and mugs, and put them all in the sink before turning on the water. Lucy got up also, and went to his side to help dry each piece of kitchenware off. Silence weighed heavily on them, and, as her gaze flickered towards the man, she saw that it was obvious that the memory still burned in his mind.

"So you were there?" she started.

His jawline tightened and his pearly whites flashed as he started scrubbing the dishes with more force than intended. "If I was there then it wouldn't have gone so far! I would have stopped that pointless endeavor. She deserves a fate far worse than death! Yet, she has a family now, and Laxus acts like it isn't his problem. Laxus-sama is truly too kind."

The rushing sound of the tap water stopped, the last mug squeaking as the man wiped it and handed it to her.

He was scarily obsessed with Laxus. All with good intentions, it made Lucy wonder if he even wanted to date her in the first place. Turning to him, she placed down the mug and towel, directing musing, "Will you kiss me?"

Freed didn't answer, only moving to slightly lean his now tilted head down to hers, his mouth coming into contact with hers. Those soft lips touched her own, electrifying all her brainwaves as she tasted his peachy lips and inhaled the wonderful smell of his overly used homemade air freshener.

It started out with a peck, but soon he moved on and placed his hands above her hip and back. He bit onto her lower lip, feeling himself penetrated as he return upwards. Having her tongue ___interact_ with his was both compelling and truly sensational. Only a little afterwards did Lucy push away gently, before giving him a shy, blushing smile. Embracing one another felt new- it had been a long time since anybody had ever even tried touching her like that. Freed's anger had long since vanished, and this felt almost nostalgic in thought.

"This day must have been horrible," he finalized quite simply.

She giggled, but never dared to look his way. "It's fine, just as long we don't do it again tomorrow."

"You could come to my place." He suggested something she wasn't ready for.

Lucy shook her head, looking away, still quite unable to look him directly in the eye. "Nah... But we aren't doing this tomorrow, are we?"

"We'll be shopping!" But that still included doing chores. Lucy blanched.

"That's not what I was hoping for!"

"I'll buy you a gift!"

"That's not it! Jeez... Well, it'd better be nice." She gave up. His mind really ___was_ on a man who would never love him in the same manner.

Freed turned to gaze at her interestedly- she felt it, but still didn't look at him. "If it makes you feel better, I'm actually attracted to you. Physically. You'd be surprised of how little I hold any interest in women, though I still date them. But yet, that's to your advantage."

"You act like that 'One-Week' title doesn't bother you," she deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm almost tempted to scare you off so Laxus-sama get what he wants," he joked in return - or so she hoped.

"Very funny." His silence, however, did not help her desire to believe otherwise.

"... I'll walk you home."

"Thanks..."

******AN********: You were suppose to be a short chapter D: **

******V-V... I hope you enjoyed it. **

***Manzai Threater is a popular comedy threater between a stupid/Funny and straight man. Usually consisting japanese puns.**


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